BAPTISMAL FIRE FOR ROOKIE GYORKO

NEW YORK 
Tough day in the big leagues, as they say. Really tough first day, especially the first few innings.

As things usually do for Jedd Gyorko, it got better, if just a bit.

Making his major league debut on Opening Day in the Big Apple, the 24-year-old Padres infielder came into “The Show” with a solid reputation for not just hitting, but hitting .330 with runners in scoring position. In each of his first two at-bats Monday, though, Gyorko left runners stranded at second and first.

Gyorko ended a rally in the top half of the first with a groundout to All-Star third baseman David Wright. Coming up again in the third with Everth Cabrera on second and Carlos Quentin on first, Gyorko struck out against New York Mets starter Jonathon Niese.

“I’ve gotta drive in those runs when they’re out there on the bases,” said Gyorko, asked what he most took away from his debut. “I’ll remember that.”

He avoided further frustration, however, by pulling out a defensive play on the first ball sent his way. A looper by Mets leadoff hitter Collin Cowgill was held up in the wind, Gyorko needing to actually come back in toward the infield after first breaking out into the outfield grass, then bobbling the ball slightly before making the catch.

Gyorko was moved from second base to third when manager Bud Black worked a double-switch in the fourth. Immediately after Yonder Alonso opened the sixth inning of a blowout loss with a home run, Gyorko doubled down the line for his first big league hit.

“Got that out of the way,” Gyorko said. “Just glad I got that and my first game out of the way.”

For the record, Gyorko was the 28th rookie to make his major league debut for the Padres on Opening Day. Only six of them — Ramon Vasquez, Xavier Nady, Khalil Greene, Josh Barfield, Kevin Kouzmanoff and Alonso — have done so since 1995.

Headley stays handy

The bearded, blond-haired fellow taking warm-up grounders at third base before Monday’s game was familiar enough — none other than Chase Headley — though his Opening Day won’t come for another couple weeks.

Big difference? The right-handed Headley was wearing a left-handed first baseman’s mitt.

“Just trying to keep my footwork sharp over there,” Headley said. “Maybe I’ll end up a left-handed knuckleballer. You never know.”

Already a switch-hitter, Headley was switch-fielding. His broken left thumb taped, Headley actually was pretty smooth in handling grounders with his opposite hand, removing the glove a la Jim Abbott and flipping the ball with his right.

The hard part — first pitch — was still hours away for Headley. He said he knew it was going to be a tough day, the first Opening Day in which he wasn’t starting.

“I’m not a very good bench guy,” Headley said. “I don’t know what to do with myself, so I’m the guy flicking seeds at everybody else. (Pitching coach Darren) Balsley said I’m like a little boy who’s been put in the corner for a timeout.”

Headley’s place at third was taken by Cody Ransom, a 37-year-old journeyman making only his second Opening Day lineup.

Etc.

Today, right-handed pitcher Casey Kelly will have ligament-replacement surgery, a procedure to be done by Dr. James Andrews in Pensacola, Fla.

• Before the game, the infield was ringed by emergency personnel involved in the local recovery from Hurricane Sandy last fall. Citi Field was used as a staging area for the relief effort, a fact not lost on Padres pitcher Jason Marquis, whose family rode out the devastating storm in their Staten Island home.

• Wright’s single kept intact his streak of getting a hit in each of the Mets’ season-opening games since his debut in 2005.

• The Padres clearly picked the wrong place to start a season. The Mets are 34-10 in their last 44 Opening Day games, 10-4 in the last 14, though the Padres did beat the Mets in their first game at Citi Field in 2009.

• Must be something about New York that brings out the romance. Given a day off Sunday, both outfielder Will Venable and pitcher Brad Brach used the opportunity to get engaged to girlfriends who are now fiancees. Quickly noted the competitive Venable, “I asked mine first.”